No Matter What

by Nicole Jackson

  Tellie giggled. “Bitch, you lie too much. That nigga didn’t say that.”

  “Nah, he didn’t say that, but that’s basically what I got from all this. This is Mix’s show, baby. So, I might as well shut my ass up from now on, cause that bitch aint finna listen to nothing I got to say. That nigga is in her head like a sew-in. Do you hear me?”

  Chapter 6

  “Alright, Naveriah, girl, see you tomorrow,” Nunnie’s co-worker bid her farewell, as she and Mix headed out of Footlocker.

  “See ya,” Nunnie replied, while looping her arm around Mix’s. “Damn, I’m sleepy,” she yawned.

  Mix cracked a smile. “You put in a lil’ six hours, and now you tired.”

  “Hell, yeah. Especially when you kept me up all night.”

  He eased an arm over her shoulder, as they causally strolled through the Galleria mall. He would always cuff her extra tight whenever she was in her Footlocker uniform, because of the way it would hug her shapely figure. Her plump ass was sitting right in her pants, and he couldn’t wait to get her home.

  Wrapped into one another, they traveled to a few stores, grabbing some miscellaneous items. Living with Mix, Nunnie now had newfound financial freedom. No longer was there someone bleeding her dry every paycheck. Her money primarily stayed in her pockets, unless she wanted to spend it. Mix worked out whatever financial contribution arrangements with his grandma and didn’t burden her with contributing anything. He’d also give her money to keep in her possession whenever the mood struck. Of course, this portion of their relationship was entirely new, because he hadn’t offered much, while she was with Save, proclaiming that she wasn’t his girl to go all out for. Back then, Nunnie had attributed his claims as excuses, thinking he simply didn’t want to give her shit. Now, she knew that he’d meant it. He’d held back tremendously, refusing to pour into somebody else’s girl, but now that she was his he had no problem giving her his last. It was almost crazy to witness. Ole wild ass Mix had a real deep thing for her and had absolutely no issues letting her know exactly what it was. The shit was so refreshing that Nunnie didn’t quite know what to do with herself. He had her floating on a natural high and she never wanted to come down.

  Strolling down the walkway, Mix spoke in Nunnie’s ear, as he locked eyes with a familiar face. A scowl etched across his face, once he noticed the cat mean-mugging him.

  “The fuck is his bitch-ass looking at?” Mix gritted, as he paused, halting Nunnie, as well.

  Nunnie lifted her head and spotted Save’s older cousin, Carter. Carter stood there with his girlfriend, Vin, glaring at them.

  Carter cleared his throat. “Aye, what’s up?”

  “Hey,” Nunnie responded wryly.

  Mix merely offered a head nod.

  Tucking his lips into his mouth, Carter decided to say what was on his mind. “Look, I’ma just come out and say it. Mix, seeing you here with my cousin gal just aint sitting right with me. The fuck is up with this shit? Nunnie? This how you roll?”

  Mix frowned, preparing to go in, but Nunnie gently placed a palm on his abs, letting him know that she had it.

  “Carter, to keep it real, I don’t really care what you think,” Nunnie spoke up. “I know for a fact that you witnessed your cousin fuck over me several times. I bet you didn’t have nothing to say then. But I guess I’m the foulest bitch on the planet because him and Mix was cool at one point. And yeah, I might be wrong. I can take my lick for this. But it is what it is. It aint gon change nothing.”

  “It definitely won’t,” Mix cut in. “However the shit happened, we together now, and I’m getting tired of niggas feeling like they can approach her or me about the situation.”

  Carter exhaled. “Look, my nigga, I aint about to go back and forth with you over this shit. I said what I had to say. The only reason I even spoke on the situation is because I hate to see you and my people fall out when I thought that you and him was better than this. Niggas die over shit like this, and I don’t wanna see it come to that. Yall from the same hood. The same fucking clique. So, don’t nobody wanna see the shit. But this aint my beef. If I had a problem with you personally, then I’d be man enough to let you know.”

  “Yeah, a’ight,” Mix sneered.

  “Yeah, okay. Yall be easy, man,” Carter offered, before guiding his girl off in the opposite direction.

  “Come on,” Mix told Nunnie. “Lickz is supposed to be meeting us in the food court. Let’s get this shit over with, cause I’m ready to get the fuck. That nigga done killed my fucking vibe.”

  Nunnie nodded. “Did he ever say what he wanted?”

  “Nah, the nigga claimed that he didn’t wanna talk over the phone. Ion know what that shit is about, though. Especially, if he wanna address you. I already told him that you don’t get your hands dirty. Period. That shit is non-negotiable. So, I hope that he aint on that type of bullshit. Cause then I’ma have to go in on my nigga.”

  “Oh, God.” Nunnie rolled her eyes, as they stepped onto the escalator that descended down to the food court.

  Maneuvering through the crowds, they found a table and sat down. Mix checked his phone, and realized that it was about to die, so he slid Nunnie’s right out of her hand. Without her assistance, he unlocked the phone and texted Lickz. Unlike with Save, her phone and everything else was completely at Mix’s disposal. There was absolutely nothing hidden between them. He had the codes to everything and vice versa. They’d sat down and laid it all out on the table. When they were done, Mix had blocked all his old hoes from calling him and had allowed Nunnie to thoroughly sift through all his inboxes and dm’s. Beyond Save, she really didn’t have any loose ends, because Mix had gotten rid of them a while ago. Nunnie hadn’t even realized that he was doing it, but he’d managed to eliminate any guy she was entertaining outside of him and Save, until it was just them, and then of course, he got rid of the main competition. Frankly, before it was officially done, he’d finessed his way into the main spot months prior, calling out the shots quietly. He’d been dictating the flow, and eventually only allowed Nunnie to deal with Save out of slight guilt. Naturally, his feelings ultimately trumped his conscious and then Save didn’t matter enough to keep him from Nunnie.

  Catching him off guard, Mix felt Nunnie’s soft lips brush across his. Instinctively, he kissed her. She smiled.

  “What you smiling for?” he questioned with a smirk of his own.

  “I was just sitting here staring at your handsome face and I couldn’t help myself,” she whispered.

  Gripping her chin, he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

  “Ahh umm,” Lickz cleared his throat, as he stepped up and towered above them.

  Gradually, Mix pulled back from Nunnie, and focused on his boy. “What’s up?”

  Lickz grabbed a chair and sat down. “Nothing, man.”

  “Hey, Lickz, what’s up?” Nunnie greeted him.

  “Aye, girl. You gon have them Jay’s waiting on me on Saturday, huh?”

  “Yeah, I got you.” Nunnie nodded. She loved dealing with Lickz on the shoes end. He always bought shoes for himself and at least five other people. He’d pay her 50 bucks to hold each pair of shoes no matter the size, so she’d always make at least $300.

  “Okay, so, talk to me,” Mix urged. “What was so important that you couldn’t tell me over the phone?”

  Lickz rubbed his goatee. “Alright, look, you and Save are both HOB, so I’m supposed to stay neutral as the big homie. You know that. But everybody knows that I really fucks with you, and I made it no secret that I was coming to have this talk with you.”

  Mix nodded.

  “Alright, so, it’s like this. That nigga Save is facing some major time and niggas is getting antsy about it, cause he got major dirt on them. Basically, they scared that he might fold under pressure if they try to hit him with some football numbers. You know that he was putting in work out here, and these niggas really feel like he could open his mouth and have their asses indicted. So, they done teamed up and pa
id for his lawyer and posted his bond. He should be getting out tonight.”

  Nunnie’s heart plummeted down to her stomach. “What? They bonded him out?”

  “Yep.” Lickz nodded. “And keeping it real, after the last conversation I had with the nigga, I was against it. I mean, I know he a part of the team, but that lil’ nigga need to be behind them bars, cause the way he was talking…the shit just aint right.”

  Mix narrowed his eyes. “What was he saying?”

  “Okay, look, the nigga called me collect, huh? He was trying to get me to call Nunnie on three-way. At first, I thought that he was on some getting his charges dropped type shit, which I could halfway understand. I mean, if Nunnie aint willing, that’s her right, but you know that a nigga will try his luck. So, I got to probing around, asking him questions. That’s when I realized that nigga didn’t give a fuck about them charges. Like all these niggas are concerned about what he gon do with these cases, but that man don’t even fucking care. He just wanted to know where Nunnie was and who she was with. So, I just came out and asked the nigga if he wanted to be with Nunnie and he admitted that he did,” Lickz revealed, before locking eyes with Nunnie. “He said that he wasn’t tripping on you fucking with Mix, as long as it was done. He knew that he’d fucked up his fair share of times. He didn’t care what nobody had to say. He wanted yall to get back together, and just leave the past in the past. So then, it was just dead air for a while when I told him that yall was still rocking. Then this nigga sat on a recorded line, talking about how he was gon kill you. And I know Savion. Been knowing that lil’ nigga forever. He meant that shit. He was too calm. It was like he had been in there thinking about the shit and told himself if he got back word that you was still fucking with Mix that this was what he was gon do. And them bitches down there in the county just letting this man issue out threats. I don’t know. Maybe yall should call the laws or the DA—”

  “Lickz, my nigga, you know we’on talk to police,” Mix spat. “Under no circumstances. That’s what snitches do.”

  Lickz sucked his teeth. “Lil’ nigga, you tripping. This shit aint no different from when Dreka had to call the laws on Save’s ass in the first place. This aint got shit to do with snitching. Snitching is when you out there doing dirt, and you too much of a coward to take your time. This aint that. This man done already held this girl and her people at gunpoint. And now he’s finna get out on bond for that case and is talking about killing her. This shit got all the makings of some shit that you see on TV. Don’t take this shit lightly. This aint no street shit. This is domestic and the rules are different. This man clearly aint thinking right, or don’t give a fuck no more. He’s ready to throw it all away. Cause we all know if he kills her then he’s going to jail. Aint no escaping that. So, it’s only but so many ways you can deal with a situation like that.”

  Angrily Mix curled his lips. “You fucking right about that. Like I said, aint nobody calling no police. It’s kill or be killed. So, Save gotta go. It’s just that simple. Fuck it. I’m popping that nigga’s top back.”

  ***

  Lying between Nunnie’s thick thighs, Mix thrusted himself deeply within her. They’d been locked away in their room for hours, exchanging breaths. After releasing three times, back to back, Mix would’ve ordinarily dozed off into a deep slumber, but not tonight. With everything weighing on them, they felt this intense need to hold one another tighter. Longer. Almost as if they had to savor this moment, because it would be their last.

  Caressing her face, Mix kissed Nunnie passionately. Lovingly, Nunnie rubbed the back of his head, feeling the tension in his body. He was worried, although he hadn’t expressed this to her. It was in the way he looked at her. She knew in her heart that he wasn’t afraid at all. He was concerned for her safety, as he felt personally responsible for the bull’s eye she now had on her back.

  Moving at an unhurried pace, Mix was taking his time, delivering unspeakable pleasure. Nunnie definitely wasn’t the most experienced around, but he’d unlocked something within her that some women didn’t reach until mid-life. He was a young twenty, but had mastered the art of love making, and could easily take her to some parallel universe. His sex was literally mind-numbing; therefore, she didn’t think twice about him constantly exploding inside of her. Frankly, when he was deep inside of her, nothing else mattered. It was just him and her. And the euphoria.

  Nimbly, she placed her legs on his shoulders, allowing him to venture balls deep. Using his hands, her pushed her thighs apart, while smashing into her. Still, somehow, they managed to kiss feverishly. He eased in and out of her, while she crisscrossed her feet.

  “Damn, Nunu,” he practically whimpered. “I fucking love you,” he confessed for the very first time.

  Nunnie gasped, hearing him utter those words. “Oh, my God, Mix,” she moaned out, really suppressing how she really felt. His confession had touched her heart in such a way that it brought tears to her eyes, but she didn’t want to dampen the moment. She was so emotional that she really wanted to lie on his chest and cry, but she couldn’t do that. He’d probably think that she was crazy then. “I love you too,” she admitted, although, she felt like those weren’t strong enough words for what she really felt deep inside.

  He kissed her for the millionth time. “I know. And just know that I aint gon let that nigga lay a hand on you. I put that on everything I love. He gotta go through me first, and I’ll kill him, before I’d let him hurt you.”

  Nunnie nodded, fully believing in him. Still, she found no comfort in that. “But where will that leave you? You know if you kill him, then you might end up in jail, right?”

  “What’s the alternative, Nunu? Living in a world without you in it? Shit, you think that I’ll be free then?”

  She shrugged.

  “Nah, I wouldn’t be.” He cuffed her boob. “I can’t even see myself without you, honestly.” He stroked her nipple. “That shit crazy, huh?” he chuckled.

  “What’s crazy?” she questioned.

  “How shit can change. Like we used to exist before each other…but Ion know how. You get what I’m saying?”

  She smiled. “Yeah, I know exactly what you’re saying. It’s a weird feeling for sure. But I be wondering…like is this shit a faze. Cause I can’t imagine people walking around feeling like this about a person for their whole life. Like I feel addicted to you or something. I don’t know. I can’t explain it.”

  He smirked. “Don’t worry, I got you. Daddy just got that dope dick. That’s all.”

  “Nigga,” she tittered, as he commenced to long stroking her, causing the bed to rock.

  Just as he erupted inside of her, her cell vibrated on the nightstand next to them. Since it was now four in the morning, they both knew that it was highly unusual for her to receive a call.

  “The fuck?” Mix spat, as he reached over and snatched the phone up. Without a second thought, he answered the call. “Who this?”

  “Hello?”

  Instantly, a cold chill shot up Mix’s spine as he immediately recognized the voice. “Yeah?”

  “Aye, where Naveriah at?”

  Mix exhaled. “Save, my nigga, what the fuck? Come on, dog. Why is you doing this?”

  “Why am I doing what? The fuck is you talking about? I called to talk to Nunnie, nigga. This is her fucking phone.”

  Mix rolled off Nunnie and sat up in bed. “Alright, it’s her phone, but I’m answering this bitch. I’m coming to you man to man, Save. It’s over. Not even on no funny shit. I know you feeling a way about it, and that’s your right, but it’s over, dog. She chilling.”

  Save laughed despite himself. “So, you really believe that shit is that simple?”

  “Nah, life is complicated as fuck, my nigga. So, Ion think for one second that shit is simple. And I can even apologize to you for stepping on your toes. That’s my bad. We was wrong. I thought about that shit, and as a man, I owe you that much.”

  Save sucked his teeth. “Bitch nigga, I don’t give a
fuck about your apology. I really don’t give a fuck about you. I expect fake shit from niggas like you. So, it’s whatever. But if you believe that you finna move freely around this fucking city with my bitch…then you must be out your body, nigga. That shit aint happening. If anything, I’ll knock the bitch off first, and neither one of us will have her. And if you get in my way, I’ll knock you off too. Fuck it. Two for one.”

  Mix tapped the tip of his nose. “Say, the fact that you wanna throw it all away over some pussy is mind boggling, man, but we can play this shit however you want to. But I’m telling you, I don’t play fair. If it’s beef, it’s beef. I don’t give a fuck where I see you, or who I see you with. You can be with ya granny, nigga. It’s on sight. And if I gotta come to ya mama’s, I’ma spray that whole muthafucka. Ion give a fuck who in that bitch. Ya sisters go too. Ya lil’ nephews. It don’t matter. So, keep talking that big gangsta shit. You know what I’m ‘bout.”

  With nothing further needing to be discussed, Mix ended the call. Receiving an earful, Nunnie lied on her back, staring at the ceiling, wondering what the hell would happen next.

  Chapter 7

  It was one of those Sundays in the hood where everyone had come out. Brewster Park was holding a block party, and the whole city had seemingly been notified, as slabs from all over lined the streets. Fleets of red, blue, green, teal, and orange candy painted, custom designed cars with protruding rims were “swanging” from lane to lane.

  The bopping side of Nunnie refused to miss today’s festivities, although there was still the looming threat of Save lurking. It had been nearly a month since he’d been out on bond, and she hadn’t laid eyes on him yet. Her not seeing him wasn’t because she’d been hiding, either. He’d actually been the one keeping a low profile. Frankly, both she and Mix were too prideful to ever run. Therefore, they’d made it a point to integrate themselves back into society, after Save’s jail release. They wanted it to be known that they weren’t afraid, because all eyes were undoubtedly on them.